Using informers in IT services sales - Business Idea !!

Most organizations use very conventional approach to sales. Business development is through cold calling, mailers, references etc. How many organizations have used formal informer approach to sales and to generate leads. Here is what I propose.

Let us say that your core competence is selling ERP services. You obviously compete with other businesses in your space. You participated in x number of proposals this year and won a few. Have you ever checked on the ones you lost this year or last year to see how the company that won the bid is performing in that organization. If you have checked whom did you check with ? Do you have a strategy to go after these clients. My point is that in this world it takes very little for a client to be unhappy with the vendor they work with. Second possibility is that the vendor would have done a fantastic job but the top management has changed in the organization hence the new management is looking for a change.

What I propose is to have a formal informer strategy setup in the organization where by you keep a tab on the bids you lost; Identify and appoint an informer in the organization with a clearly defined incentive plan. That will motivate the informer to help you when things are not going well with the customer.